The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) recently rescinded a directive issued in 1999 that allowed for certain alternative means for employing fall protection on residential construction projects. The result of the rescission was to impose all of the fall protection requirements of Subpart M of 29 CFR 1926 on residential construction projects, making the requirements equal to those imposed on commercial construction projects.
Subpart M of the OSHA regulations stipulate that fall protection must be utilized for the safety of workers on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge and which is six (6) feet or more above a lower level, including the ground. The fall protection can consist of a safety net system, personal fall arrest system or a guardrail system.
A wide variety of guardrail, safety net and fall arrest systems have been created and are available on the market, however virtually all of the existing available systems have critical deficiencies and shortcomings. With respect to guardrail systems, most commercially available systems must be secured to the actual work surface, and therefore must be removed in order to complete tasks on the edge of the work surface or above or below it, placing workers at risk.
In addition, available guardrail systems are anchored via nails, bolts or screws, requiring tools or power equipment to fasten the anchoring mechanism or component in an almost “permanent” attachment method. Such means and methods of attachment or anchoring require a substantial investment of time and material, and require a higher level of knowledge and an enhanced operator skill set, significantly reducing or precluding the transferability or portability of the system and the re-use of many components.
Further, most of the systems described are more complicated than necessary, which results in worker non-compliance in the placement or application of the system due to system ignorance, haste, or lack of proper tools or materials.
In addition to the new onus being placed upon residential builders and contractors, there is a need for a simplified, more efficient, more cost-effective portable fall-protection and guardrail system in the commercial and residential construction and safety industries.